FI77550C - FOERFARANDE FOER SAMMANKOPPLING TILL ANVAENDARENS KORT VID EN MOBILRADIOTELEFON. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the use of a portable radio telephone, which has a processor (4) controlling and supervising the operation, a keyboard (7) and a display (6), and a card reader (3), in which case, when the radio telephone is being used, the user identification data required by the radio telephone system are read from the card (1). The identification data (21) of the card (1) of the user authorized to use the radio telephone concerned are recorded in the non-erasable memory (5) of the processor (4), whereupon the radio telephone shifts into a mode locked to this card in such a way that its use is possible with only a certain card (1). By means of this method, protection is achieved against unauthorized use of the radio telephone.

Description

1 77550

A method of locking a user to a card in a portable radiotelephone

The invention relates to a portable radiotelephone, in particular to a method for operating a portable radiotelephone for use in a public radiotelephone network, which in addition to radiotelephone components has a processor with lossless read-write memory, a keyboard and a display and a card reader. the user identification information required by the radiotelephone system from the inserted current user card.

An example of a known such radiotelephone is a telephone operating on the German NETZ-C network.

The magnetic card required to use the NETZ-C radio is a plastic card with a magnetic stripe the size of a normal credit card. This card contains all the user information required by the system. The cardholder can insert their card into any NETZ-C phone and use the phone with their own ID in the system without knowing anything about the origin of the phone itself.

It follows from the above that stealing a mobile phone can become tempting. Unless the thief catches his blood, it is almost impossible to trace the phone later.

The object of the invention is to provide the telephone itself with sufficient protection against unauthorized use.

According to the invention, this protection is implemented by the system in such a way that the identification data of one specific user card authorized to use that radio telephone is stored in the memory of the portable radiotelephone processor, whereby the radio only by means of a card assigned to it, and that the unlocking of the locked state, returning to the unlocked operating mode, is possible only by means of the card whose identification data was stored in the processor memory when entering the locked mode.

The protection of the telephone against unauthorized use is known per se, but it has always been a question of locking the telephone machine itself or its operation. However, locking the telephone alone does not provide sufficient protection, as it is in principle possible to unlock the lock code with a sufficient number of codes if the telephone allows the lock code to be entered on any card.

According to the invention, the radio telephone thus has a user-selectable locking level, the activation of which locks the telephone to the magnetic card currently in the card reader. The phone works perfectly as long as the correct card is in the phone, but if you try to use the device with the wrong card, it will be blocked. If a phone locked to the card is stolen with the card, the card calls are blocked at the system level.

In another embodiment of the invention, a locking key is provided for the user to press on the keypad to enter and exit the locking state of the radiotelephone.

According to the invention, it is also possible to use, for example, a four-digit code with which the card lock is activated. The lock code and card ID can be stored in the phone's non-volatile memory. After inserting the card, the card ID is compared to the ID stored in the memory, and when the card is correct, the phone will operate normally, but in the case of an incorrect card 3 77550, the operation will be blocked. You can unlock it with the same card that was used to activate the lock by entering the correct lock code.

A portable radiotelephone may consist of a separate operating device (handset) and a radio unit, each with a separate processor. In this case, the lock applies to both the drive and the radio unit.

With this solution, protection has been achieved in which both the drive and the radio unit are both locked to the same card, so that even stealing the drive alone is not worth it.

In the event that the drive does not have its own, separate processor, the lock is implemented on the processor controlling the entire telephone. Such single-processor devices could be, for example, handsets without a separate operating device.

The card lock can be implemented completely programmatically. In the user interface, the card lock is displayed as only one lock level, which the user can select if desired. In addition, only ID comparisons and phone blockers are required.

The user card can be a plastic card the size of a credit card with a magnetic stripe or some other card suitable for the purpose, for example the so-called "smart" card with a processor.

In the following, the method according to the invention will be explained by means of an embodiment shown in the drawing.

In the drawing are Figure 1: a block diagram of a portable radiotelephone insofar as it relates to the invention; * 77550 Figure 2: schematic representation of the identification information contained in the user's magnetic card; Fig. 3: an observational diagram comparing the lock code in the memory with the entered code; and Figure 4: a schematic block diagram of a portable radiotelephone when it consists of a separate operating device and a radio unit.

The method works by wishing to lock the radiotelephone shown in block diagram in Fig. 1 to a specific magnetic card 1, the user inserts the card into the magnetic card reader 3 »activates the lock by pressing the key lock key Θ and enters the four-digit lock code its part 12 is stored with the lock code 22 in the non-volatile memory 5 · of the telephone (the information contained in the magnetic card shown in Fig. 2 relates to the use of the radiotelephone system, which is not explained in more detail here.)

The next time a magnetic card 1 is inserted into the card reader 3, the card number 21 stored in the memory 5 and the number 31 on the inserted card are compared before starting the network registration. · If the numbers match in the comparison of Fig. But if card 1 is incorrect, ie the numbers 4'-8 '(31) differ from the numbers 4-8 (21), the phone does not register with the network and does not worry about any commands from the keypad 7 · In this case, unauthorized use of the radio without the correct magnetic card 1 is almost completely prevented. It is possible to unlock the card by activating the unlocking of the keypad with the key 8 and entering the lock code 22 given in connection with the lock.

The operation of the parts of the radiotelephone and e.g. the input, storage and comparison of numbers is controlled by the microprocessor juP (4) in a manner known per se, which is not explained in more detail here.

5,77550

When the portable radiotelephone according to Fig. 4 consists of a separate drive (= handset) and a radio unit, each of which has its own processor 4a and 4b, the locking applies to both the drive and the radio unit. This means that the same identifier (shown in Figure 3) is stored in the non-volatile memory 5a and 5b of both the drive and the radio unit. The processors of both units then exchange information about the correctness of the identifier with each other according to a specified communication protocol, in which case both processors must agree on the correctness of the identifier before the telephone starts up normally.

According to the invention, the aforementioned disadvantages of conventional locking are eliminated so that the telephone does not register with the network and does not worry about keypad commands, i.e. the telephone is completely "mute" if the wrong card 1 is inserted in the card reader 3.

Claims (3)

6 77550 A method for operating a portable radiotelephone, in particular a portable radiotelephone for use in a public radiotelephone network, having in addition to the radiotelephone components a processor (4) with lossless read / write memory (5), a keyboard (7) and a display (6) ) and a card reader (3), whereby the user identification information required by the radiotelephone system is read from the current user card (1) inserted in the card reader (3) when the radiotelephone is switched on. the identification data (21) of the user card (1), whereby the radiotelephone enters a locked state locked to this user card, so that the radiotelephone can be used in the locked state only by the assigned card (1), and the unlocking state returns to the unlocked state, is possible a only with the card whose identification data (21) was stored in the processor memory (5) when entering the locked state. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that in order to enter and exit the locking mode, the user must press a locking key (8) arranged for this purpose on the keypad (7). A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in order to enter and exit the lock mode, the user must additionally enter a multi-digit code (32).